Water and Shade
by Amorisa
Summary: One shot. Post-series. One of the Zone's mysteries has DG seeing double. A Tin Man Challenge fic.


**Title:** "Water and Shade"  
**Author:** Rissy James  
**Characters:** DG, Glitch, Cain & Raw  
**Rating:** PG  
**Summary:** One-shot. Post-series. _One of the Zone's mysteries has DG seeing double.  
_

**Author's Note:** Written for Challenge 3-A ("Mirror, Mirror") at tm_challenge over on Livejournal.

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**Water and Shade**

"Isn't it beautiful here?" DG asked her friends.

The hidden glade she'd led them to circled a sandy beach and an impossibly inviting pond. The surface shimmered as the water refracted the shafts of sunslight. It was still, silent, and as DG had stated, beautiful.

DG kicked her shoes off and walked across the beach into the water. She lifted her skirt as she waded in, stopping when the water was mid-calf.

On the shore, Raw plunked himself down on an unassuming stone. "Magic here."

Cain stood at his shoulder, surveying the thicket warily. The mention of magic always put him on guard; unpredictable, dangerous, more often wicked than not... little spinning dolls aside.

Glitch lowered himself down on one knee in the wet sand, and watched DG. "There's something peculiar about this place," he stated dreamily, looking up, down, and all around.

"No there's not," DG said. She dropped her skirt and the hem trailed in the water.

With a deep sigh, Glitch glanced down into the water. His eyes grew wide, and with a shriek, he jumped back from the edge, his arms scrambling at DG now, beckoning her out. "I know what it is!" he said, astonished his brain had scrounged up the information.

"What is it?" Cain demanded, walking closer to the pond. Glitch threw an arm out to stop him.

"Its an Echo Pond," Glitch said. "Look, see?" He stepped up to the water's edge and leaned out precariously, as one afraid to fall. "No reflection."

"Outta the water _now, _Kiddo," Cain barked; he didn't step any closer to the water's edge, instead holding out a hand for her to come to him.

DG rolled her eyes and muttered injustices as she stomped out of the water, splashing and kicking up a cloud of sand. "What are you two so paranoid about?" she said, crossing her arms over her chest expectantly.

"Not paranoid," Glitch said, his mouth falling open as he glanced over DG's shoulder into the pond. He nodded his chin toward its deep center. "Look, DG."

DG turned skeptically, but fell back against Cain with an exclamation unbecoming of a princess as she saw... _herself_. In the center of the pond, underneath a shaft of light that highlighted her wet, tangled locks, DG – the _other_ DG – treaded water, regarding the four ashore with a smoky smirk and a nasty gleam in her eyes.

"Aww, no fun," Other DG called out, pouting.

"Wh – just – but – _someone explain_," DG stammered. She took a tentative step toward the waters edge, but Cain wrapped his fingers firmly around her arm and hauled her back.

"Evil spirit," Raw said, not moving from his perch.

DG's eyebrows shot up, and she turned to Glitch, the most likely source of knowledge. "But why does she look like _me_?"

Glitch cleared his throat, nervously eying the spirit wearing a DG suit. "The spirit is bound to the pond. It can take the form of anyone that steps into its waters, but can't leave itself. It uses the guise to lure in prey. Its just an illusion, it won't last long."

Other DG giggled. "Care for a swim, Tin Man?" she asked Cain gleefully.

DG frowned. "Well, what do we do?"

"Not goin' near the water sounds like a fine enough start," Cain said.

Other DG dove under the water, resurfacing moments later closer to shore. She stood on the sandy bottom, submerged to her waist, revealing that she was completely nude. Her long, dark hair hung down to modestly cover her breasts. DG felt her face burn and turned into Cain's chest. "How do we get rid of it?" she asked Glitch.

"We don't," he said. "Cain's right. If it catches one of us..."

"Then what?"

Raw stood and went to her. The three formed a protective circle around the princess. "Spirit is free. You take place."

"Come and play with me!" the spirit called out enticingly in DG's voice.

Glitch put a hand on DG's shoulder. "It'll lose your form soon," he said hopefully. "Come on, lets go back to the palace, see what Tutor has to say."

With a backwards glance, DG walked away from the Other DG, who screamed angrily after them, her shrill cries following them all the way back to the maze.

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**Author's Note II: **This piece was voted "Second Place" and "Most Creative". I suggest heading on over to LJ to read the "First Place" fic, which pwns all: "Doggonnit!" by OddsBobs.


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